Don't count out Quinton Flowers as Bengals' third QB in 2018

The talk surrounding the Cincinnati Bengals and notable undrafted free agent Quinton Flowers has centered on his transition to running back.

But Flowers has a few things going for him when it comes to these Bengals and his possible future with the team:

The Bengals don’t like keeping three quarterbacks

They also love versatility

It’s safe to presume Flowers isn’t going to beat Matt Barkley for the backup job behind Andy Dalton. It also looks like Jeff Driskel has more of a shot to serve as a true backup.

Or: the Bengals give Flowers a few looks at quarterback in training camp, like what they see and decide to go away from Driskel, keeping only Dalton and Barkley.

Flowers makes the final roster in this scenario. Not only is he a more-than-capable quarterback, he’s helping on special teams returns, serving as a backup running back and perhaps capable of taking emergency snaps elsewhere.

Remember, Flowers threw for 21 or more touchdowns in each of his last three seasons in college while also rushing for double-digit touchdowns in each season. If the worst disaster imaginable happens, he’s capable of stepping in and executing a basic offense while offering huge upside as a runner defenses have to respect.

Much of this will hinge on whether Flowers can seize the moment. If he’s getting looks at quarterback during preseason games, the outlook behind Dalton gets quite a bit more complicated.